Spring is in full swing in Wrangell, and that means Birdfest is back for another year. Birdfest, or the Stikine River Birding Festival, is a weekend full of bird-related events that happen across town and in the Stikine River area. Spring festivals have been a common occurrence in Wrangell, according to Corree Delabrue with the U.S. Forest Service. What is now known as Birdfest began about 22 years ago, she said, and was known back then as the “Garnet Festival.” Garnets can be found along the Stikine River, and the festival was originally designed to celebrate one of the river’s precious resources.
“I actually don’t remember what year it switched to the birding festival,” Delabrue said. “It’s always kind of been a celebration of spring, and especially the Stikine River, which is why it went from garnets to birding but still kind of that ‘Stikine’ theme of celebrating one of our really cool resources … One of the things about spring, here, is the migration of birds to town. But on the Stikine River it’s, like, a whole other world out there.”
Delabrue has been helping to organize Birdfest since 2011, alongside the Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau, and took on more of a leadership role in 2012. This year’s festival is a little different from past years, she said. While previous Birdfests have been limited to a single weekend, this year’s festival has the majority of its events planned from April 25 to 28. Some birding events have already begun, and events are also planned into early May.
Artist Kim McNett held a nature journaling workshop last Saturday, for those interested in learning how to field sketch. McNett has been holding art workshops in Wrangell’s schools for the past two weeks, as well. A reception to show off the students’ art will be held at the Nolan Center on April 26, at 6 p.m.
Other events that Delabrue pointed out as “highlights” of the festival include a presentation on sandhill cranes, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nolan Center, and a photography workshop on April 27. Local charter companies will also be offering birding boat tours the weekend of Birdfest.
Another event that Delabrue is excited about is a live bird presentation by the Alaska Raptor Center, from Sitka. People are invited to the Evergreen Elementary School gym at 4 p.m. on April 27 to see and learn about Alaska’s various birds of prey.
“They’ve come in the past, and then we just weren’t able to make it work out for the last couple of years, but we got them to come back this year,” she said.
Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving wetlands and waterfowl habitats, will be hosting a fundraiser banquet at the Nolan Center at 6 p.m. on April 27. There will be raffles, live music, and a silent auction.
After the banquet, there are no further bird-related programs scheduled until May 8. Cesar Guerrero, the executive director of Terra Peninsular, will be visiting Wrangell to share a presentation on shorebird conservation efforts in Baja California.
For a full list of events and schedule updates, visit http://www.stikinebirding.com. Comments, questions, and other ideas are also always welcome, she added.
“I’ve kind of geared this, over the years, to a community event, that’s why I push so hard to do work in the schools. So if people have ideas or things they’d like to see in the future, I am happy to hear about it,” Delabrue said.
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